Camera and magazine therefor



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 1, 1938. A. KINDELMANN CAMERA AND MAGAZINE THEREFOR Filed July 7, 1934 m l 4 L 2 ,s

W R Y mM wm NH R ED 0 ww n K A y March 1, 1938. A. KINDELMANN CAMERA AND MAGAZINE THEREFOR Filed July 7, 1934 '2 SheetsSheet 2.

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ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 1, 1938 2,109,538 I H CAMERA AND MAGAZINE THEREFOR Kindelmann, Floral Park, N. Y., assignor to International TroJector Corporation, New york,- N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application Jill, I, 1934, Serial No. 734,142

7 Claims. (CI. 88-17) This invention relates to motion picture campressed too hard against parts in the camera. eras and film magazines therefor, and more par- Statedeahother way, the present invention proticularly relates to a film magazine including a vides that the film will be guided solely by parts device for framing the film in the zone where carried byor within the magazine so that its it is exposed and for holding it in proper focal movement is substantially or completely un- 5 relation to the lens of the camera. affected by the fit or pressure of the magazine In constructing a film magazine for motion in the camera. picture cameras a number of varied and, in a Another feature of the present invention resense, conflicting requirements have to be consides in providing an improved film magazine 10 sidered and satisfied. For one thing, in order to including an aperture, for the purposes incli- 10 enable the exposure of a film so that all of the cated. which is not only simple and inexpensive individual pictures have the same size and the to manufacture but also effective in use. right focus, it is important that an accurately A further feature lies in providing a construcshaped and positioned aperture be provided for tion of this character in which the member admitting light to the film. Then, too, the film forming the aperture is seated against a portion 15 should lie fiat against the rear face of the aperof the camera but in such a way as to leave the ture. In addition, the aperture and cooperating film substantially unaffected by the engagement elements are to be constructed so that light strikof the magazine wi h par in th camera. nd ing the film section under exposure, will not in which the film is urged to lie flat and withpenetrate into the magazine to affect other film out the possibil ty of binding between e e 20 sections. On the other hand, it is important that face of the p rt re m mber and associated film the construction shall permit the film to be fed guiding members Carried y t magazinepast the aperture without binding. Moreover, A more detailed feature is the provision of an the magazine has to be extremely simple to conaperture of the type indicated which is capable struct and should be as compact as possible. In of some relative, bodily movement with respect 25 addition, the magazine should be light-tight and to the main body of the magazine casing and capable of being inserted in the camera without which is held stationary when the magazine is the need for any special precautions on the part in the camera. of the person using the camera, especially in the Other features, objects and advantages will in case of cameras adapted for use by amateurs. part become apparent and in part be pointed out 30 Considering these difiiculties as well as manuin connection with the following detailed descripfacturing tolerances and the demand for accution of exemplary forms of the invention, referracy without excessive cost of the magazines, cerence being had to the accompanying drawings tain persons have adopted an expedient involving wherein:

the use of an aperture plate rigidly mounted on Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of 5 the camera, so that it extends into a window or one form of magazine in accordance with the aperture in 'the magazine to engage the film. invention, a portion of a cooperating camera be- However, this scheme has certain disadvantages. ing shown;

The present invention aims to satisfy the Fig. 2 is a similar View of a modified embodi- 40 above-mentioned requirements and avoids the ment in which the aperture plate is formed as a 40 disadvantages by providing a superior construcpart of the magazine casing; tion which requires relatively few, uncomplicated. Fig. 3 is a similar view of another modified parts. embodiment in which the aperture plate is More particularly, a feature of the invention formed as apart of the magazine casing; and

resides in providing a magazine construction in Fig. 4 is a similar view of another modified 45 which a film engaging aperture plate is carried form in which the aperture plate is formed indeby the magazine and in some cases is movable pendently of the magazine casing but carried with respect to the main body of the magazine. thereby as in Fig. 1.

This permits the magazine to engage a fixed stop With reference first to Fig. 1, a magazine casmember provided on the camera without having ing 5 is provided forming an enclosure 6 for film 5c the film interposed between a fixed part of the take-off spool I, take-up spool 8, and film 9.

camera on the one hand and a part of the 'maga Wall ill of the casing may be formed as a rezine on the other hand, thus avoiding the possimovable cover for assembly purposes. The casbility of binding the film if the magazine does ing may be formed of any suitable material,

65 not fit fairly in the camera or if the magazine is preferably light sheet metal, and may take any convenient shape, preferably being provided with a side edge wall lladapted to seat on the lower wall l2 of a magazine compartment l3 formed in in the camera. The enclosing walls of compartment I3 may be arranged to closely fit about the magazine so that when the latter is slid into the compartment it fits snugly therein. The forward edge wall H of the magazine may abut against rearwardly projecting shoulders l5 formed on the front end or edge wall of the compartment i3, and may be held thereagainst by a rear door (not shown) on the camera. Yielding means, such as a fiat spring (not shown), attached at one end to the rear wall of the magazine, may be provided, when desired, for urging the magazine against the front wall of compartment I3 when the compartment door is closed.

Within the magazine there is advantageously provided a gate plate I! which may be fastened to a wall of the casing 5 in any suitable fashion. This plate serves to guide the film past a window formed in the front wall of the casing for admitting light to the film. The window i8 may l e between inwardly projecting arms l9 formed on or secured to the front wall H of the casing, and having upwardly and downwardly projecting feet or flanges 20, which are preferably of sufficient extent, width-wise of the magazine, to support and vertically align an aperture plate 2| having U-shaped end portions 22 adapted to receive the feet. These U-shaped portions 22 preferably extend the full width of the magazine in order to bear against the side walls thereof for laterally aligning the aperture and preferably enable some forward and rearward movement of the plate 2| with respect to the casing 5.

The plate 2| is provided with a central, precisely formed aperture 24 which controls the light striking the film section lying immediately rearward of and in abutment with this plate. The U-shaped end portions of the aperture plate may be offset forwardly of the central portion of the plate, as indicated at 23. An opening 25 may advantageously be so formed in the gate plate l1 that the end portions 22 do not wedge the film against the gate, or in other words, so that the central, rearward portion of the aperture plate is aligned with and slightly smaller than the opening 25.

Slidably mounted in the opening 25 there is preferably provided a presser member 26 which is constantly urged forwardly against the film by means of a spring 21 or other yielding device which may be secured to the gate-plate. In order to hold the aperture plate 22 in proper relation to the camera lens (not shown), the camera may be provided with a box-shaped portion or extensions 28 for bearing against the front of the aperture plate at two or more sides of the aperture 24, an opening 29 being thus formed sufiiciently large to avoid interfering with full light reaching the aperture 24.

Toward one or both sides of the magazine, the aperture plate 2| and camera wall may be formed with openings, or may be broken away, in order to enable intermittent mechanism, such as a pin and claw, to engage sprocket holes in the film and thus draw it forward. Or the intermittent mechanism may engage the film above or below the aperture plate 2|. Suitable connections may be attached to spool 8 for enabling the camera to wind the film when the magazine is in the camera. Other details of these portions of the construction will not be described as it will be understood that they may take any convenient form; for instance, they may be constructed in accordance with familiar practice.

As to the operation and certain advantages of the form of magazine and camera described, it will be understood from the foregoing that before the magazine is placed in the camera, it is rendered light-tight by reason of film being held against the aperture plate 2|, which may then assume its foremost position. When the magazine is placed in the camera compartment l3, the front wall of the magazine abuts against shoulders [5 of the camera, and there is thus provided a rigid stop for the magazine. The portions IQ of the magazine, lying at angles to the front wall 14, serve to reenforce the magazine and prevent the front wall from being deformed should the magazine be pushed into place with more force than is required to seat it. At the same time the aperture plate 2| may yield and thus move slightly rearwardly, to the position shown, upon abutment with the portion 28 of the camera which serves as a stop for definitely locating the aperture plate with respect to the lens (not shown) which is mounted on the camera. The presser member 26, which is larger than the aperture 24 in vertical extent, urges the film section which is immediately rearward of the aperture plate 2| into engagement therewith. On the other hand, the film immediately above and below the gate does not bind between the gate member l1 and the aperture plate. In this manner the film section in the zone for exposure is held fiat and at proper distance from the camera lens, while the free running of the film is not interfered with. A corollary advantage is that emulsion is not scraped off the film. Moreover, the magazine is adequately light-tight, so

that light does not reach the film preceding and v following the section under exposure.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1, and also in the form shown in Fig. 4, it will be appreciated that the aperture plate while maintained vertical is full floating, or, in other words, is not engaged by any spring means, except through the action of the presser plate 26. Accordingly, when the term full floating is used herein it intends' an aperture plate of this type, which is particularly advantageous in the respects above noted.

In the modified form of construction shown in Fig. 2, the front wall I! of the magazine casing 5 is formed with a recess or depression within which is disposed the rearwardly offset portion of limited film-contact area which may be termed the aperture plate 30 provided with the aperture 24. The aperture plate is rigidly secured to the casing wall but in some instances may be formed as a different member or of different material. A pressure plate 26 and a. resilient pressing means 21 therefor may be provided in an opening in the gate-plate as in the previous form. In this form also, it will be observed that the film is not engaged between camera and magazine parts but solely by parts carried by the magazine and the danger of binding the film so asto prevent its free movement is avoided, regardless of the fit or pressure of engagement of the magazine in the camera.

The form shown in Fig. 3 differs from the form shown in Fig. 2 in that the front wall I of the magazine, within the space between the abutting portions 28 of the camera, is provided with an offset film-engaging portion 3| carrying the aperture 24. In this form the portion 3|, which may be termed the aperture plate, is of less extent than in the Fig. 2 form and the portion 23 of the camera does ,not necessarily engage within a recessed portion of the magazine casing. The movement of the film in the Fig. 3 form is independent of the relative fit and engaging pr'essurebetween magazine and camera parts, just as in the other forms.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the magazine casing may have some resiliency to permit'the aperture plate to adjust itself to the end of the portion 28 of the camera. but the casing takes the entire engaging pressure between the magazine and the camera to avoid binding the film; and in no case is the casing deformed sumciently to cause a binding action on'the film against the gate-plate. In the Fig. 3 form particularly, due to the fact that the offset portion or aperture plate 3| falls within the limits of the opening of the gate-plate, the danger of binding is very remote. The amount of deformation of the front wall of the magazine in the forms shown in Figs. 2 and 3, will of course depend upon the character or extent of engagement between the magazine and the portion 28 carried by the camera. If the portion 28 of the camera is formed as a closed tube slightly larger than the aperture 24 so as to lie completely between the top and bottom walls of the magazine, the deformation of the front wall of the magazine will be greater than if the portions 28 are merely formed as bars which extend completely across the front end of the magazine, y I

In Fig. 4 there is shown aform ofcamera and magazine construction which is somewhat more complicated to manufacture than the preceding forms, but which has certain compensating ad vantages. In this form, the aperture plate 32 may be formed with a box-shaped or tubular portion 33 having flanges 34 adapted to bear against the front wall of the camera compartment l3. The aperture 24 may be formed in the rear wa1l .of the box-shaped portion 33 and is preferably slightly smaller than the opening in the box-shaped portion. In order p to support the aperture plate 32 upon the magazine casing 5, two or more studs 35 may be riveted or otherwise suitably secured to the front wall I of the casing.

The aperture plate is slidably mounted on the studs which may have heads 36 lying in recesses 31 formed in the aperture plate. The recesses 31 are preferably somewhat larger than the heads 36 on the studs, so as not to interfere with forward and rearward movement of the aperture plate with respect to the casing. The casing is provided with an opening 38 in the front wall thereof to enable the box-shaped portion 33 to extend into the casingand abut against the film 9. In order to provide a rigid abutment for the front wall of the casing, the camera housing may have secured in the front wall thereof one or more pins 39, which may extend through openings 40, larger than the pins and formed in the aperture plate flanges 34.

It will thus be appreciated that the aperture plate 32 is carried by the casing and functions in many respects similarly to the plate shown in Fig. 1. That is to say, the aperture plate 32 is enabled to move forwardly and rearwardly with respect to the casing 5, and is positively located with respect to the camera lens when the magazine is placed in the camera. At the same time, the aperture plate 32 is substantially located in a vertical plane by means of its sliding engagement with the pins 35. As described in-connection with other forms, the presser plate 26 is nections of the character described. the aperture plate can be positively held in a definite, vertical plane when the magazine is in operative position. In addition, the film may beproperly guided through the gate and rearward of the aperture plate without binding. The construction is particularly simple to manufacture and effective in operation. Furthermore, the seating of the magazine in proper-position in the compartment is insured without the need for complicated devices on the camera and without danger of binding the film due to the fact that all film guiding parts are carried by themagazine.

While certain novel features of the invention have been disclosed and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will beunderstood that various omissions, substitutions and changes may be made by those skilled in the art from the spirit of the invention.

' What is claimed is:

1. In a motion picture camera, in combination, a compartment for the camera adapted to receive a magazine, saidcompartment including a front wall, a self-contained fully enclosed unitary film magazine comprising a complete casing adapted to be inserted in said camera compartment, a fixed gate-plate in said casing adjacent the front wall thereof, abutting means on'said camera wall and said magazine front wall for limiting the forward movement of the magazine in the camera compartment toward the camera wall, an aperture plate carried by said front wall of the magazine casing provided with a picture framing and focusing aperture, said aperture plate providing a film guiding surface interiorly of said magazine at said aperture, said gate-plate being provided with an opening opposite said framing aperture and larger than said aperture, and a presser plate in said gate-plate opening for pressing the film against said aperture plate at said aperture. whereby the film is framed and guided by parts wholly carried by said unitary magazine to avoid improper movement of the film due to inaccurate fitting of the magazine in its compartment or undue pressure of the magazine toward the front wall of the camera.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further characterized by the fact that said aperture plate is offset inwardly of the magazine from the forward portion of the front wall thereof.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further characterized by the fact that said gate-plate is formed as a separate member mounted for independent movement on said front wall in cooperation with locating means carried by the front wall of the camera, and that said abutting means comprises other cooperating means on the front wall of the magazine and camera respectively.

4. A self-contained unitary film magazine adapted to be introduced into the magazine compartment of a motion picture camera, comprising bottom, top and side walls forming a completely enclosed casing, film supply and take-up spools mounted in said magazine, a gate-plate provided with a presser-piate opening mounted in said magazine in a fixed position relative to the front side wall of the casing, a film presser plate mounted in the opening of said gate-plate, positioning means on said magazine adapted to cooperate with parts in said camera for limiting the forward movement of the magazine, and a shiftable plate mounted on the front wall of said casing providing apicture framing and focusing aperture for the film, said aperture plate being adapted to be positioned by engagement with parts carried by the camera but independently of said magazine positioning means, and the aperture plate forming with said presser plate a film guiding passage disposed wholly within the magazine, whereby the fllm is permitted to have free movement past said framing aperture regardless of the fit or pressure oi the magazine in the camera.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 further characterized by the fact that said shiftable aperture plate is mounted tor loose movement upon retaining members carried by the front wall oi! the casing.

6. A motion picture film magazine as set forth in claim 4 further characterized by the fact that said aperture plate is mounted on cooperating feet and retaining members for free movement from and toward said front wall of the casing except for the action thereon of the presser plate and the cooperating part of the camera.

7. A motion picture film magazine as set forth in claim 4 further characterized by the fact that said aperture plate is mounted on retaining studs for free movement from and toward the front wall of the casing except for the action thereon of the presser plate and the cooperating part of the camera.

ALBERT KINDELMANN. 

